Earthquake-the mere thought of it petrifies the person and trembles him. Tremors caused by it make the people to rush out from their houses for their lives.
Let’s understand what an earthquake is:-
An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the sudden violent shaking of ground, typically causing great destruction as a result of movements within the earth’s crust or volcanic action. It is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves.
Its intensity is calculated on the Richter scale.
Depending upon the calamity and consequences, strategies to mitigate effects of earthquake can be divided into long term (5-15 years) medium term (1-5 years) and short term (to be taken immediately in high risk areas).
In the pre-earthquake phase, preparedness and pre disaster mitigation are concepts to work on. Post disaster phase should include expeditious rescue and relief measures including temporary sheltering, re-construction and rehabilitation measures.
Pre disaster long term measures should include reframing buildings’ code guidelines, manuals and byelaws and their strict implementation, incorporating earthquake resistant features in all the buildings at high risk areas, making all the public utilities like water supply systems, communication networks, electricity lines etc. earthquake proof, supporting Research and Development in various aspects of disaster mitigation and preparedness.
Pre disaster medium term measures should include retrofitting of weak structures in highly seismic zones, training communities and local NGOs in high risk areas, inculcate basic know-hows amongst school kids on earthquake dos and don’ts along with safety drills, training field personnel in the science and art of carrying out post disaster surveys for urgent relief purposes and for repair, reconstruction and retrofitting purposes.
Post disaster preventive measures should include maintenance of law and order, evacuation of people, recovery of dead bodies and their disposal, medical care for the injured, supply of food and drinking water, temporary shelters like tents, metal sheds, repairing lines of information and communication, restoring transport routes, quick assessment of destruction and demarcation of destroyed areas, selection of sites for new settlements, execution of the reconstruction program, review of the existing seismic zoning maps and risk maps, review of seismic codes and norms of construction, training of personnel, engineers, architects, builders and masons.
Coordination between various agencies involved in rescue and relief operations is very important to avoid gaps in communication and work and duplication of effort.
Though it’s not possible to predict earthquakes, appropriate knowledge and preparation can minimize the damage and save the lives of people.
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MAHENDRA GURU